historical geology

syllabus

• HISTORICAL GEOLOGY (GL 202) AND LAB (GL 203)

Brumbaugh Academic Center room P118 | Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9.00a - 9.55a

Over the next fifteen weeks, you will learn the story of our planet.  How it got here; what has happened since; and, to the best our knowledge, where it is going.  Together we will explore this history of Earth from a systems perspective.  That is, you will not only learn bout the static physical and biological components of the Earth system, but also the dynamic processes that link them.  These processes have acted, and continue to act, over vast spatial and temporal scales which can seem distant from our human perspective.  But you are a participant in the Earth system, and so, ultimately, the history of Earth is also your personal history: how you got here; how the Earth affects you now; and how you affect the Earth.

When you have finished this course I hope that you will know the major events in the history of Earth and the principles and techniques used to uncover that history.  This knowledge will help you become a scientifically-literate member of society.  I also hope that you will understand the processes that currently act on Earth.  You will better understand your place in nature.  Finally, and most importantly, I hope that you will acquire the process of scientific inquiry, by studying not only what scientists have learned about the Earth, but how they learned it.  Whether or not you become a professional scientist, in your life you will be faced with choices about which you need to make informed decisions.

 

• OFFICE HOURS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Matthew Powell, Brumbaugh Academic Center room P104

Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday from 1.00p - 3.00p plus any time I am in my office plus e-mail plus call my cell phone. You may contact me at any time; it is my job and my joy.

 

• TEXTBOOK

The textbook is Earth System History 2e by Steven Stanley. It is an articulate, clear, and well-illustrated textbook. I will also supplement your textbook with additional readings. Lots of useful help is here: http://www.whfreeman.com/esh2e.

 

• HONOR

Academic honesty is a cornerstone of higher education and you must be honest without exception.  In a nutshell, the Juniata College policy states you must not misrepresent what you know; for example, by cheating on exams, fabricating results, or plagiarizing the work of others.  It also states that “students oblige themselves to follow these standards”; that is, you yourself are entrusted with upholding that policy. 

 

• GRADES

Your lecture grade is based on occasional quizzes on the reading and three exams. The quizzes are worth 20% of your grade; two in-class exams are each worth 25% of your final grade, and one final exam (which is not cumulative) worth 30% of your grade. Your lab grade is based on exercises and your lab notebook, worth 60% of your grade, and a final laboratory practicum, worth 40% of your grade.

I do occasionally curve exam grades or exclude ambiguous questions if there is a compelling reason to do so.  Peer tutoring and writing help is available; just ask.

FINAL EXAM Friday, December 12, 1-4 pm

 

• ATTENDANCE & WITHDRAWAL

You must attend class. After any three absences - excused or unexcused - you will lose 1% of your final grade for each class missed. Athletes who will have more than three absences must provide me with their schedule in the first week of class. Decisions about withdrawing from the course will be made on a case-by-case basis.

 

• LABORATORY

Most of your labs will be outdoors and during unpredictable weather conditions.  Dress appropriately.  The major hazards are cars and rocks falling on you from above (usually knocked down by other people).  Be aware of your surroundings.

You will need to acquire a field notebook and a pencil and bring them with you to each lab.  Special field notebooks are available in the bookstore, but any smallish notebook is okay.  Spiral-bound is great.

The lab exam is in the field on Wednesday, December 3rd. You may use your notes, my lab handouts, and any written material you wish to bring along. I will provide hammers, Brunton compasses, and HCl acid.

lectures

I. PRINCIPLES OF HISTORICAL GEOLOGY

  1. "earth system components" | Aug 24-29 | Reading, Ch. 1
  2. "earth system components" | Aug 31 - Sep 5| Reading, Ch. 2 and 3
  3. "ancient environments" | Sep 7-12 | Reading, Ch. 4 and 5
  4. "the fossil record" | Sep 14-19| Reading, Ch. 6 and 7
  5. EXAM 1 | Sep 21 - 26
  6. "plate tectonics" | Sep 28 - Oct 3, no class Friday | Reading, Ch. 8 and 9
  7. "major geochemical cycles" | Oct 12-17| Reading, Ch. 10

II. THE HISTORY OF THE EARTH

  1. "the first four billion years" | Oct 19-24| Reading, Ch. 11 and 12
  2. "the early and middle Paleozoic Era" | Oct 26-31| Reading, Ch. 13 and 14
  3. EXAM 2 | Nov 2-7 |SECOND EXAM Monday, November 10 covering Chapters 9 through 13
  4. "the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic Eras" | Nov 9-14| Reading, Ch. 15 and 16
  5. "the late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic Eras" | Nov 16-21| Reading, Ch. 17 and 18
  6. "the Cenozoic Era" | Nov 23-28, no class Wednesday, Friday | Reading, Ch. 18 and 19
  7. "Holocene climate change" | Nov 30 - Dec 5| Reading, Ch. 20

labs

  1. "introduction to sedimentary rocks: siliciclastics" | PDF
  2. "introduction to sedimentary rocks: carbonates and evaporites" | PDF
  3. "common fossils of Pennsylvania" | PDF
  4. "depositional environments" | PDF
  5. "measuring sections and geologic mapping" (field)
  6. "stratigraphic column of Pennsylvania" (field)
  7. "stratigraphic column of Pennsylvania" (field)
  8. "stratigraphic column of Pennsylvania" (field)
  9. "stratigraphic column of Pennsylvania" (field)
  10. "stratigraphic column of Pennsylvania" (field)
  11. "stratigraphic column of Pennsylvania" (field)
  12. "practice for the lab final " (field)
  13. lab practicum (field) DECEMBER 3

last updated 20 November 2008